Ultra-violet ray sterilizers



Dw 1963' J. J. E. A. DECUPPER 3,418,069

ULTRA-VIOLET RAY STERILIZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22. 1965 R mt1968 J. J. E. A. DECUPPER 3,418,059

ULTRA-VIOLET RAY STERILIZERS Filed Dec. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m atUnited States Patent 3,418,069 ULTRA-VIOLET RAY STERILIZERS Jean JosephEugene Alexandre Decupper, Neuilly-sur- Seine, France, assignor to DetecS.A., Geneva, Switzerland, a Swiss body corporate Filed Dec. 22, 1965,Ser. No. 515,701 7 Claims. (Cl. 2174) This invention relates toimprovements for sterilizing the atmosphere by ultra-violet rays.

The oxidising action of ultra-violet rays is currently used for thedestruction of organic germs which are dispersed in the atmosphere; theemitting tubes for such rays are disposed in installations which may befixed or movable and used for sterilizing localities such as operatingtheatres, wards, sterile spaces, etc.; however the ultraviolet raysbeing, as the result of their destructive action On organic cells,somewhat dangerous for human beings, the fixed installations shouldcomprise screens intended to insure that the emitted radiations do notreach the users. The mobile installations formed generally by one orseveral ultra-violet tubes mounted on a support comprising also fixed orarticulated screens permitting the use of the apparatus either in thepresence of the users, the screens being then in position or withoutanyone present, the screens being then retracted or in the openposition.

In ultra-violet ray emitting apparatus of the movable type, theprotective screens are generally formed by shutters which arearticulated longitudinally on the body of the apparatus; in the closedposition these shutters form screens preventing the ultra-violetradiation from spreading into the space and reaching the personstherein; in the open position the shutters are externally retracted toenable the ultra-violet rays to be emitted freely. The disadvantage ofthe device thus formed resides in that the shutters in the open positioncontinue however to offer a certain surface opposing the passage of theradiation, which is particularly noticeable when the shutters are dishedor curved to mate with the general cylindrical form of the apparatus;the blind angles thus formed are objectionable when it is desired, as isgenerally sought in the use of such apparatus, to irradiate completely aroom. Moreover the shutters described above when they are in the openposition extend laterally and make the apparatus considerably morecumbersome.

The sterilising apparatus for emitting ultra-violet rays in accordancewith the invention overcomes these drawbacks, it comprises protectivescreens which are remarkable in that they are provided with meansenabling them to be folded or retracted in the interior of the apparatusbetween the ultra-violet emitting tubes.

The advantage obtained by the apparatus in accordance with the presentinvention is that the shutters become stowable in the interior of theapparatus and no longer represent an additional external encumbrance inthe open position, with a view to direct irradiation of the space;moreover the shutters situated between the lamps in the open position donot cause any dead angle in the irradiation.

But the inventor has besides obtained by this device a remarkableadvantage in permitting the internal surface of the protective shuttersto play the role of reflector when the shutters are in the openposition; to this end the inventor has arranged to provide the internalface of the said shutters with an appropriate covering constituted bypolished metal applied on a fiat or preferably goifered support ensuringa better dispersion of the reflected rays. An important characteristicof the apparatus in accordance with the invention is formed by thereflective covering of the inner face of the protective shutters.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described 3,418,069 PatentedDec. 24, 1968 by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 represent two perspective views of a preferred embodimentof the apparatus in accordance with the invention; FIG. 1 showing theapparatus with the shutters closed and FIG. 2 showing the'apparatus withthe shutters open.

The apparatus here consists essentially of four tubes 1, 1 which emitultra-violet radiation and are disposed vertically between a base 2 anda roof 3 fixed together by uprights 4, 4, 4". The apparatus is in theform of a prism of square section; on each of its four sides aredisposed protective screens 5 and 5'; each screen comprises two panelsarticulated to each other about the vertical axis of the apparatus; thearticulation 6 is thus situated in the centre of the shutter; at thefour corners of the shutters are provided rollers disposed along theaxis of the apparatus and placed in guide rails 7, themselves situatedon the periphery of the base 2 and the roof 3 of the apparatus; the axis6 of articulation of the two panels forming each shutter can equally beprolonged at its two ends by two rollers which are displaceable in guiderails radially mounted in the base and the roof of the ap paratus.

The opening of a shutter thus takes place by folding back on each otherthe two panels which compose it; the articulation 6 is pushed into theinterior of the apparatus and the rollers associated with the guiderails described above make the shutter 5, when it is completely foldedon itself, occupy a radial position in relation to the axis of theapparatus; it is then situated between two ultra-violet emitting lamps 1and 1', so that the assembly of the four shutters when folded forms across containing in the interior of each of its angles which itdetermines an ultraviolet lamp.

With the outer faces of the shutter folded on each other, the innerfaces 8 and 8' appear in the open position of the shutters; thesesurfaces are covered with an appropriate metal reflecting theultra-violet rays and they should advantageously have a surfacecomprising more or less regallar embossments thus ensuring betterorientation and more rational dispersion of the rays in the midst of thespaces to be sterilised.

One could, as shown in FIGURE 3, without departing from the scope of theinvention, construct a retractable shutter formed of two independentportions 9 and 9, in which the retraction movement and folding of thetwo panels could be controlled by rollers 10, 10', 11, 11' and rails 12,12, having endings to give to the two folded faces of the shutter theradial position described above, the rail has then preferablyan elbowedform. The outer edges of the shutters are advantageously provided withhandles 13, 13' for moving them.

In a third form of embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus iscylindrical and the shutters are formed by four curved panels, 14, 14',15, 15', each panel or shutter representing the surface of quarter of acylinder and the assembly of the four shutters in the closed positionsurrounds and obscures the apparatus; each shutter can turn freely abouta pin 16, 16' situated in one of its edges; the pin of rotation isengaged at each end in two rails 17 in the form of a quarter of a circlesituated one on the base and the other in the roof of the apparatus andin a symmetrical position to that occupied by the shutter in the closedposition. Opening of the shutter takes place by rotation of this latterabout its pin, after rotation of the axis of rotation is spaced alongthe guide rails 17 and reaches the opposite end of the rail; the shutterhas then turned to and occupies in the open position a position which issymmetrical to its original or closed position; the internal face of theshutter surrounds over a quarter of a circle the ultra-violet ray lampand as has been described above this inner face is provided withappropriate covering playing the roll of reflector for the rays.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for sterilising the atmosphere by the emission ofultra-violet rays comprising a plurality of vertical tubes for theemission of ultra-violet rays arranged between 21 lower base and anupper cover and several movable protective shutters, a reflecting metalcoating arranged on the inner face of said shutters, means to displacesaid shutters into the interior of the apparatus when open, and toposition same between the tubes, in such a manner that the inner face ofthe shutters provided with a reflecting metal coating is exposed to theemitting tubes.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, whereas each shutter is formed by twoindependent similar panels provided with guiding rollers, and guiderails engaging said rollers being arranged on the base and cover of theapparatus to control the movement of the half-shutter towards a radialposition relative to the axis of the apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, having a cylindrical form andcomprising four shutters each representing the surface of a quarter of acylinder, each shutter comprising along each upper and lower edge anarticulation pin associated with each of its corresponding upper andlower rail having the form of a quarter of a circle, and arranged on thebase and on the cover of the apparatus respectively, said rails turningtheir concavity towards the exterior and being disposed symmetricallywith respect to the shutters when closed.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting coating of theinner faces of the shutters has an irregular surface ensuring generaldiffusion of the ultraviolet rays.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shutters are providedwith handles and with resilient locking means to maintain said shuttersin closed and open positions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, having a square section prismaticform and comprising four ultra-violet rays emitting tubes and fourshutters one at each of its faces, each shutter being constituted by twosimilar panels which are articulated to each other along their innervertical edge about the vertical axis of the shutter, whereas means areprovided to guide the outer edges of said panels in the place containingthe face of the apparatus when folding the shutter together by pushingsaid articulation inwardly towards the axis of the apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the guiding means associatedwith each shutter comprise guide rails arranged on the base and on thecover perpendicularly to each face of the apparatus, an upper and lowerpin engaging said rails and protruding upwardly and downwardly from thecentral articulation of each shutter, whereby said articulation is movedin a position very close to the centre of the apparatus when theshutters are folded, and guiding members provided on the outer upper andlower edge of each shutter and rails arranged near each face of theapparatus in parallel relation with said faces respectively andcooperating with said guiding members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,617 5/1944 Furedy 250-88 XR2,449,681 9/1948 Wilson 2174 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,252,566 12/1960France.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

F. T. RUDIAK, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

1. APPARATUS FOR STERILISING THE ATMOSPHERE BY THE EMISSION OFULTRA-VIOLET RAYS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL TUBES FOR THEEMISSION OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS ARRANGED BETWEEN A LOWER BASE AND AN UPPERCOVER AND SEVERAL MOVABLE PROTECTIVE SHUTTERS, A REFLECTING METALCOATING ARRANGED ON THE INNER FACE OF SAID SHUTTERS, MEANS TO DISPLACESAID SHUTTERS INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE APPARATUS WHEN OPEN, AND TOPPOSITION SAME BETWEEN THE TUBES, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE INNER FACE OFTHE SHUTTERS PROVIDED WITH A REFLECTING METAL COATING IS EXPOSED TO THEEMITTING TUBES.